Making Money Sharpening Chainsaw Chains?

[craig71]

Sharpening chains???? Dear Lord Jesus, I got bronchitis, aint nobody got time for dat.

 

[Scooterbum]

Also can agree that there is no real $$$ in it.

Well not real money, but if there's no money coming in it's good money.We don't know his situation.

I can do about 4-5 chains an hour, at $6 a chain that's not bad. Now I only do chains for friends. Most I don't charge but there's a couple I do. Still friends but they'd charge me for a handshake.

 

[Philbert]

The money making part depends on your situation. I have a grinder I bought for my own use. I have a garage. Probably can't measure the electricity used. If I charged to sharpen chains (I don't), it would all be 'income'.

If I had a shop; paid rent, taxes, and insurance; etc.; it would still be income, but I would have a lot more overhead to cover before it was 'profit'. Especially if I had to hire an employee to sharpen.

I can understand why shops view sharpening differently than the side-business guys.

Philbert

 

[old-cat]

I hand file chains ONLY for 25 cents per tooth and for most people's chains that's bloody cheap. It took me a lot of years to get to my level of expertise which is only good enough for a hill-billy

 

[CentaurG2]

In a throwaway society, how much can you possibly make sharpening chains?? We used to have a local machine shop sharpen our chipper knives. They did a great job but their costs were just below a new set of knives. Now we just hit em with a flap wheel and ditch them when they get scabby. You might command a nitch market if you learned to sharpen kitchen knives, large circular blades or barber scissors but the equipment outlay/time on these things makes a chainsaw chain look like childs play.

If you want to do your own with a file, hit walmart and get a cheap Oregon file guide. Next puddle around the stihl website. They used to have some good vids on the basics of chain sharpening. The best way to learn is by starting with a new chain and trying to keep it sharp. Touch up at every fuel up or as soon as the chain stops throwing large chips. A couple of tanks and you will get the swing of it. Grinders, wheels and Silicosis go hand in hand. If you go that route, you best prep for it. Good luck.

 

[1270d]

Lol. I've wondered a few times about scoliosis when half way through a pile of 35 chains. Probably not a bad idea to set up your grinder to work while standing. Production grinding is just that, a grind.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[BloodOnTheIce]

I sharpened around 30 chains today, one customer had 17, plus one on the 025 he brought in for service.
17 chains plus the servicing the saw and a new 14" bar was just a hair over 200$ that's about the highest sharpening
bill I've ever had.

 

[madmarksolomon]

Hey guys I wanted to get some insight off here from people that may have some good advice. We live a pretty good way out in the country and people are constantly complaining about having dull chains. So I figured that this is a good way to get a side business going and offering a chain sharpening service. I have done a good bit of research and sort of torn between what I want to do now. I was hoping the community here could help me decide.

My initial plan was to buy an Oregon 511AX Grinder and learn how to properly use it. After doing some more research on the web and even seeing what people prefer to sharpen their own chains with here it looks like taking the time to learn to use a file might be more rewarding. Especially since I can buy files, depth gauges, and accessories for all different types of chains out there four under a hundred bucks it might be worth considering. The main problem I face is if I get a lot of business it may prove to be too much to sharpen each chain by hand and try to make a profit off it.

Do you guys think if I take the time to learn to properly use a file that I can sharpen the cutting tooth and depth gauges on several different chains a day and do a good job people will respect? Because I here a lot of people saying that files are more of a "touch up tool" for the field and that is it. Where as other people constantly swear by them. I guess my main question is with several strokes on each cutting tooth and filling down the depth gauge can I get each tooth as sharp as a Oregon Grinder would? Of course with knowing I need to put a little more effort into it?

Also I have two more things I am worried about. If people bring me their chains only how can I vice them up or get them sit up so I can get to them to sharpen them?

Lastly if I am sharpening a .325 regardless of who manufactured it can I always use the 3/16" (.325) file? For example my chains are .325 and Stihl sells the file for the .325, which I am pretty certain is 3/16". So could I use that file for any chain that is .325 whether it be Husqvarna, Polan, Craftsman, etc?

Don't get in a hurry to get your business off the ground, learning to sharpen chains properly takes a considerable amount of time to master and become efficient. Take your time and read and observe others that are willing to teach. Don't be the guy that thinks he can do it over night and puts out poor quality crap:msp_wink:

 

[Philbert]

Probably not a bad idea to set up your grinder to work while standing.

Adjustable height.

Philbert

 

[madmarksolomon]

Thats funny

 

[Eightweight]

NICE!!!!!!!!

Adjustable height.

Philbert

 

[discounthunter]

Could I really mess up a chain if I try to use a Oregon 511AX Pro or Round File on a "square tooth" chain?

no. but you could turn a $50 square ground milling chain into a regular round ground. then you will get a customer like me in your face.

please stop posting. start looking up info on chain types,angles, uses. who sharpens your chains? go talk with them.

 

[discounthunter]

people .... do not touch other peoples chains.

fixed it for you.

 

[heyduke]

no. but you could turn a $50 square ground milling chain into a regular round ground. then you will get a customer like me in your face.

please stop posting. start looking up info on chain types,angles, uses. who sharpens your chains? go talk with them.

give this guy a break. this is a legit question. the answer is yes, emphatically. first, square ground chain is the same price as round ground. heck, it's actually easier to grind since you don't have to fret over the critical radius on the grinding wheel, just dress it square with a diamond dresser. furthermore, if you grind a lot of chains for pros, like arborists, you will occasionally get a square ground chain in to be converted and sharpened with round ground cutters. it's no big deal, just use your 3/16, radiused, wheel and go for it. there's guys who grind, or file, round ground chain into square too. one time we got a great deal from bailey's on a 100' roll of square ground carlton. each loop was only square ground for one week. on sunday night, when we serviced saws, we put those chains on the stihl grinder and they became round ground chisel. hexa fox, don't be afraid to ask questions. there are no stupid questions. get your oregon grinder ordered and go for it. and remember my definition of an expert: he's a guy from outa town.

 

[Hexa Fox]

To the original poster, sorry for the fun possibly at your expense, but seriously? You don't even know how to sharpen your own chain, and you want to sharpen ours (or somebody elses, doesn't matter). And you want to start a chain sharpening business? We may be occasionnaly harsh, but we work in a harsh, unforgiving business. Your business plan sucks, because you don't know what you're doing. Better to bruise your ego now than let you spend $500.00 on a grinder you don't even know how to use. Not being harsh, just honest.

Actually, I guess it is harsh honesty, just cause I care. Jeff

So let me get this straight, you are harsh because I am a novice and my business plan sucks? Sorry sir but you are not very smart. If you think I am such a waste of time then do not waste my time and space where other people are trying to aid me and give me good advice. As it has already been stated you do not know me and should not be trying to judge what I will be able to learn based on what I have posted to a forum. Because I do not know the name of every different chain, grinder, etc does not mean I am I am incompetent, which is how you are treating me.

Basically to put it to you bluntly if you think you are being "harsh" or know my "business plan sucks" take your time elsewhere. Because for someone that has so many negative things to say you sure are spending a lot of that time here wasting mine. Also for the record I made it clear that I would most definitely start on my own chains and make sure I was getting good results and only then start moving onto my friends chains and see what kind of feedback I get.

Now that is cleared up back to the relevant subject. My point is there are a lot of people that sharpen chains that have no clue what they are doing. As it was said before by a poster here as long as the customer gets a chain returned that cuts they are happy. I have read it several times before (especially here) that some "professionals" will not file down the depth gauge on a cutting tooth. For me the one with the sucky business plan that is common sense. So I would say that I am off to a good start compared to other "professionals".

 

[Hexa Fox]

I don't think that folks are discouraging him as much as suggesting that he needs to get some basics right before jumping in with both feet.

Scooterbum's offer is both generous and a valuable opportunity for someone trying to get started with this.

Philbert

Nahh I can say almost for certain that you and The Jolly Logger have been pretty discouraging. Especially if you go back and read his last post that I just replied to.

That is just my opinion though. I will tell you the same thing I told him. If you think you are wasting your time and want to constantly tell me how bad I am going to fail then take your time and advice elsewhere. Respectfully I could go without it.

 

[Gologit]

Nahh I can say almost for certain that you and The Jolly Logger have been pretty discouraging. Especially if you go back and read his last post that I just replied to.

That is just my opinion though. I will tell you the same thing I told him. If you think you are wasting your time and want to constantly tell me how bad I am going to fail then take your time and advice elsewhere. Respectfully I could go without it.

You might want to re-think your attitude.

 

[Hexa Fox]

Your not too far from me. If you want come on down and I'll give you some hands on with a grinder and hand filing.We''ll see what you have. You may pick it up pretty quick. I get $6 a chain here and that's cheap for this area.

Yeah I really appreciate the offer. If I may though, a few questions for you first.

Where exactly are you in Virginia?

What do you want in return?

How else can I contact you?

Thanks for your offer, most generous indeed. Although I should warn you some of the criticism here is correct. I have no real experience sharpening or touching up chains.

 

[Hexa Fox]

You might want to re-think your attitude.

Nahh i'm good. Do what you need to do but with them acting like that I think they need to "rethink their attitude" first. As they were pretty hostile towards me from the start of the post.

 

[elanjoe]

Nahh I can say almost for certain that you and The Jolly Logger have been pretty discouraging. Especially if you go back and read his last post that I just replied to.

That is just my opinion though. I will tell you the same thing I told him. If you think you are wasting your time and want to constantly tell me how bad I am going to fail then take your time and advice elsewhere. Respectfully I could go without it.

just use that to fuel your want to prove these two wrong. you gotta start some where.